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Hawkeye Highlights Iowa AAHAM Chapter

Spring 2020 Photo By: Steph Hultman Volume 12, Issue 1

Message from the President . . .

Thank you for letting me serve as your Hawkeye AAHAM Chapter President. It is an honor and privilege to help lead our organization to serve Revenue Cycle professionals across the state.

This past month has been a game changer for many of us. We have disruptions and changes in our daily and professional lives; as well as in the lives of those on your teams and in your community. Your Iowa Hawkeye Chapter of AAHAM Board is here for you, as is the National AAHAM organization. We know that these are trying times. Together, we will get through this and come out stronger. I know many of us will have new policies and best practices to share later this year based on our experiences this spring.

Our Spring Conference has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus. I will miss seeing you all! I want to send a big thank you to our board and committee members, as well as our sponsors, who helped organize the event. I hope we can see everyone at Fall Conference.

Please continue to watch your emails on updates regarding continuing education and AAHAM Certification testing changes. As the weeks roll on, we continue to offer educational opportunities to our membership. Watch for emails regarding upcoming webinars that National AAHAM and our local and national sponsors are providing. Visit www.aaham.org for more events.

With the changes in healthcare being rapid, even during this challenging time, please encourage your teams to consider certification with AAHAM. AAHAM certification is an investment in your teams’ personal growth and professional future. AAHAM certification examinations offer a complete career ladder. We have a certification that will help advance careers, assist succession planning, and help your departments meet revenue cycle goals.

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Carrie Kuennen President, Iowa AAHAM

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President’s Message ..................................................... 1 Officers and Board Members ..................................... 2 Legislative Day – CANCELLED ........................................ 3 Meet 2020 AAHAM Leadership ................................... 4 Spring Conference - CANCELLED.................................... 5 Covid-19 AAHAM National .......................................... 6 New Credit Report and Medical Debt ......................... 7 2020 ANI – Scholarship Program .............................. 8 ANI Scholarship Application .......................................... 9 2020 ANI – New Orleans ........................................... 10 Treasurers Report ........................................................ 11 2020 Corporate Sponsors .......................................... 12 Don’t Forget AAHAM ................................................ 12 AAHAM National Calendar of Events ........................... 13 2020 Certification Schedule ........................................ 13 Retired Membership Update ................................... 14 Website Alert ............................................................... 15

Table of Contents

Spring 2020

Hawkeye Chapter 2020

Officers - Board Members - Committee Chairs

Carrie Kuennen President Bobbie Jo Harrings Vice President / Program Chair Audra Ford Secretary / Registration Becky David Treasurer / Nominating Chair Rebecca Gough Chairperson of the Board Charlie Cole Board Member / Website Chair LeeAnn Christensen Board Member / Certification Chair Laurie Bruck Board Member / Membership Chair Steve Juve Board Member Ashley Allers Board Member / Corporate Sponsorship Chair Stephanie Hultman Newsletter Publisher Laurie Gaffney Newsletter Editor

HAWKEYE HIGHLIGHTS EDITORIAL

POLICY & OBJECTIVES

The HAWKEYE HIGHLIGHTS newsletter is published four times annually by the AAHAM IOWA CHAPTER to update the membership regarding chapter and national activities as well as to provide information useful to health care administrative professionals. Opinions expressed in articles or features are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Iowa Chapter. AAHAM, the NATIONAL AAHAM organization or the editor. Reproduction and/or use of the format or content of this publication without the expressed permission of the author(s) or the editor are

prohibited. © Copyright 2013.

For Corporate Sponsor Program inquiries, contact:

Ashley Allers, Corporate Sponsorship Chair Van Diest Medical Center

2350 Hospital Drive Webster City, IA 50595 Phone: (515) 832-7705

Email: AAllers@vandiestmc.org

For membership information, or to submit changes of address, contact:

Laurie Bruck, Membership Chair

Manning Regional Healthcare Center 1550 6th Street

Manning, IA 51455 Phone: (712) 655-8152 Email: laurie.bruck@mrchia.com

For questions and comments regarding Hawkeye

Highlights, contact:

Stephanie Hultman, Publisher

Iowa Health Information Network (IHIN) 1126 Linbud Lane

Waterloo, IA 50701 Phone: (319) 240-5306 Email: sjhultman@mediacombb.net

Laurie Gaffney, Editor

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center 1525 West Fifth Street Storm Lake, IA 50588 Phone: (712) 213-8678 Email: gaffney.laurie@bvrmc.org

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Finally, I would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support. Sponsor support allows us to continue to provide outstanding educational opportunities to our membership. It also allows you to network with vendors that can assist your Revenue Cycle departments meeting goals for your facilities and offices. I encourage you to reach out and speak with our sponsors on how they can assist your departments.

Stay safe and healthy!

Respectfully,

Carrie Kuennen President, Iowa AAHAM

2020 Legislative Day is April 20-21, 2020

Hyatt Regency Washington Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Mar 17, 2020

2020 AAHAM LEGISLATIVE DAY AND BOARD MEETINGS

HAVE BEEN CANCELLED

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) Pandemic

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Meet Our 2020 Hawkeye Chapter

AAHAM Leadership Submitted by: Stephanie Hultman, CHFP, CRCS-I, P

Carrie Kuennen, CRCP, CRCE / President Carrie Kuennen is the Director of Revenue Cycle Management for Purfoods, LLC dba Mom’s Meals, a national home-delivered meals company, located in Ankeny, since 2016. This position is responsible the accounts receivable and billing of health plans across the country. Carrie has more than 20 years of experience in Revenue Cycle. Prior to working at Mom’s Meals, Carrie was the Business Office Director at Boone County Hospital for four years.

Carrie has also worked as a Provider Relations Representative, as well as ten years as an office manager. For 16 years, Carrie continues to work as the insurance consultant for Iowa Chiropractic Society. Since 2012, Carrie has been a proud member, serving on the Board, of the Hawkeye Chapter of AAHAM. Carrie graduated from Hawkeye Community College and has earned multiple continuing education certificates and awards for her work in Revenue Cycle. Carrie is married, has two boys, and lives in Ames, Iowa.

Bobbie Jo Harrings, CRCE-I / Vice President

Bobbie Jo Harrings is a Cycle Systems Admin for Mom’s Meals in Ankeny Iowa. She received her CRCE - Revenue I in April of 2013. Bobbie Jo has also served on the AAHAM board since 2014 as a board member and Hospitality Chair. She is currently serving as VP and Legislative Chair. Bobbie Jo has been in administrative management for over 8 years and served in the medical industry for over 25 years and enjoys the challenge of the job. In her spare time Bobbie Jo enjoys time with family and friends, scrapbooking and photography.

Audra Ford, CRCS-I, P / Secretary Audra Ford is the Business Office Manager at Madison County Memorial Hospital. She has worked there for 16 years, 7 years as a biller and 9 years as a manager. Madison County is a Critical Access Hospital, has two Rural Health Clinics and Senior Life Solutions. The favorite part of her job is helping patients through the complex world of insurance.

Audra and her husband also farm approximately 1000 acres. They have 4 kids and 3 grandkids. Audra is also working on obtaining her BA in Accounting. Needless to say, she likes to stay busy.

Audra enjoys being a member of AAHAM because of the education provided and networking opportunities. She has learned so much from her peers and enjoys sharing things that she has learned as well. She encourages others to join to take advantage of all that AAHAM has to offer.

Becky David, CRCE-I / Treasurer

Becky joined the Hawkeye Chapter of AAHAM in 2012 after starting as Business Office Manager at Waverly Health Center in Waverly, IA. Prior to her current position she was the business manager in long term care facility for 7 years and also served for 14 years as claims manager for life, health and disability claims at a local insurance company.

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Becky has been on the AAHAM Board since 2013, spending 5 years working on our chapter website and just recently started her second term as Treasurer. She has a BA in Management from the University of Northern Iowa; has been married for 40 years and has two grown children. Becky loves to read, quilt, play golf and try out new wines and craft beers. Looking forward to retiring in a few years and hope to continue as a Lifetime member of AAHAM!

Rebecca Gough, HIA, ALHC, FLMI, CRCE-I / Chairperson of the Board

My personal goal during my 16 ¾ years at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan has been to help other employees and customers understand and utilize their insurance coverage to obtain the maximum benefits. April 26, 2019 marked the end of my service in this facility. In addition to taking care of aging parents and siblings in retirement, I hope to spend time enjoying local attractions that previously were low on the must-see list. I hope to spend some time volunteering with SHIIP in the future. (Look for me at the State Fair.)

Working with AAHAM these past many years has been great. The valuable knowledge that this organization has provided to me personally and will continue to provide to others for many years cannot be obtained anywhere else. Though not actively employed I will continue to be a member of AAHAM and hope to be able to promote the benefits of membership across the state of Iowa.

AAHAM Hawkeye Chapter Spring Conference May 14 – 15, 2020

Hilton Garden Inn

8600 Northpark Drive Johnston, IA 50131

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April 2020

Dear AAHAM Members:

We want to convey the deep concern and care AAHAM and I have for everyone in our AAHAM family. We

know the health and well-being of our members and our partners are paramount, and we are here to

support you. We know you are looking to us for leadership and when ready, a path forward. While no

businesses’ resiliency will be untested, there are few industries better suited than ours to withstand this

challenge.

We are sensitive to your time and priorities and don’t want to overwhelm you with data and information

you may be receiving from other sources as well. We do want to provide you with a helpful resource. As

this unprecedented and extraordinary impact on our professional and personal lives continues to unfold,

we now have a special COVID-19 website banner for late breaking news. There is also a designated tab in

the InfoHub section of our website for archived and current news related to the virus.

Our Executive Director, Sharon Galler will be distributing weekly tips and information. Make sure you

follow us on Instagram at AAHAM1968, like us on Facebook and sign up for the Mighty Network app to

receive inspirational quotes, remote working tips and some fun activities to help connect and maybe

cheer you up a bit. We would love for you to send and post items for sharing and inspiration, as well.

With so much uncertainty, we don’t have immediate answers and are learning together, but as we move

ahead and navigate this uncharted landscape, we will find them, together. We are stronger together!

All my best,

Lori M. Sickelbaugh, CRCE

President

Lori

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New Credit Reporting May Not Include Medical Debts Submitted By: Credit Bureau Services of Iowa, Inc

Have You Noticed a Change in Credit Reporting?

In recent years, some consumers have noticed that medical debt is not showing up on their credit reports. Why is this?

Because credit agencies have changed the way they report and evaluate medical indebtedness. As of September 2017, all three major credit reporting agencies -- Experian, Equifax and TransUnion – now set a six-month waiting period before they include medical debt on a consumer's credit report. This grace period is intended to ensure that consumers have sufficient time to resolve any disputes with insurers or delays in payment.

Not only that, but credit bureaus are also required to remove a medical debt if the amount has been paid -- or is being paid -- by insurance. (Credit scoring formulas do not typically penalize medical debt that's been paid by the consumer, although the debt may remain on the credit report.)

A Step Forward

According to Julie Kalkowski, executive director of the Financial Hope Collaborative, the six-month waiting period is "a big step forward toward a more equitable process." She believes the new process prevents accounts from being sent to collections too soon.

"Without a standardized process, some bills get sent to collections because they're 30 or 60 days past due, as opposed to six months," Kalkowski said.

At least 43 million Americans have medical debt in collections, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And the average amount of medical debt in collections is $579, compared with $1,000 for non-medical debt.

In addition, more than half of Americans with medical debt (about 15 million consumers) have no other debts listed on their credit reports.

Much of this debt is the result of high-deductible health plans and significant out-of-pocket financial responsibilities for health care, according to Chad Mulvany, policy director at Healthcare Financial Management Association. These debts often arise from hospital stays, ambulance services, or out-of-network doctors who consumers thought were in-network.

"More people who typically would have been a good credit risk are now saddled with big bills,” Mulvany said.

Changing the Formula

Credit-scoring companies -- like FICO and VantageScore -- build algorithms based on credit report data to assign the consumer’s three-digit credit score, were higher scores indicate lower risk.

Because of the recent changes, these companies have adjusted their formulas to account for the fact that medical debt is no longer an accurate predictor of whether someone is a good credit risk.

In fact, according to Ethan Dornhelm, vice president of scores and analytics at FICO, "Those with medical accounts are less likely to default on their accounts than non-medical accounts."

As a result, newer FICO and VantageScore models now differentiate between medical and non-medical debt. At VantageScore Solutions, medical collections receive a smaller penalty than non-medical collections, said senior vice president Sarah Davies.

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This change often makes a difference in people's credit scores. For instance, under FICO’s newest model, a consumer whose only major credit blot is one or more medical collections would see a median score increase of roughly 25 points over older versions, said Dornhelm. “Copyright 2020, Credit Bureau Services of Iowa, Inc., all rights reserved, used with permission."

2020 AAHAM Annual National Institute (ANI) Scholarship AVAILABLE

The 2020 Annual National Institute will be held at Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana from October 21-23, 2020.

Put the date and location in your Outlook Calendar now! The Hawkeye Chapter of AAHAM is sponsoring 1 scholarship to the Annual National Institute (ANI), to be held at Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. The scholarship will cover registration, plus $300 towards travel/hotel expenses. The scholarship will be awarded based on points earned between July 1, 2019 thru June 30, 2020. Members can earn points in a variety of ways:

❖ 1 Point earned: Every article referred to and published in the Hawkeye Highlights Every new member referred (as documented by National)

❖ 2 Points earned: Every article authored and published in the Hawkeye Highlights (not including required committee reports), Membership on a committee of the board, as verified by the committee chair

❖ 3 Points earned: Every meeting attended (e.g. Spring Meeting, Fall Meeting, educational meetings sponsored or cosponsored by the Hawkeye chapter)

Points will be tabulated for members that apply and in the event of a tie; a random drawing will be held. Winners will be selected around August 1st and will be notified by August 15th. The Board is excited to be able to offer this opportunity to its members.

The ANI always offers informative, timely educational sessions. And the networking opportunities are limitless. So, start reading those industry magazines and refer those articles. Or, get out your pen and author an article on the topic nearest and dearest to your heart. Better yet, attend the Spring Conference in May or one of the joint educational conferences coming up and you may find yourself already on your way to Las Vegas!

See the Scholarship Program rules on the next page.

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Hawkeye AAHAM Chapter

Scholarship Program

Eligibility: ❖ Local Hawkeye Chapter member for at least 1 year: ❖ If not a National member, recipient will be responsible for national dues; ❖ The President & Chair of the Board are ineligible; ❖ Points are accumulated for the 12-month period beginning July 1, 2019 and ending the

following June 30, 2020.

1 Point 2 Points 3 Points

❖ Every article referred & published in Hawkeye Highlights

❖ Every new member referred

❖ Every article authored & published in Hawkeye Highlights

❖ Membership on a committee of the board

❖ Every AAHAM sponsored meeting attended

Name:_________________________________________ AAHAM ID # ________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________

E-Mail: ________________________________ Telephone: _________________________

Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _________________

Date Activity Points Verification*

* To be completed by the AAHAM Board

Please submit completed application by July 15, 2020 to:

❖ Stephanie Hultman - sjhultman@mediacombb.net

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2020 Annual National Institute The 2020 AAHAM ANI will be held at the

Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana

October 21-23, 2020

The ANI is attended by nearly 500 National members and over 75 exhibitors. Each year, the members of AAHAM come together to exchange ideas, renew old friends, make new ones, and further their knowledge and education in the field of Patient Account Management.

Get Exposure! Exhibit booths are available for unopposed time in the exhibit hall. Sponsorships are another way to show your support and enhance your sales, and double your company's visibility. Advertising space is available in the ANIinsider, the official conference program. AAHAM's ANI always attracts a large number of qualified speakers, who present on a variety of topics. Be sure to check out the Agenda and Exhibitor Prospectus (available in early 2020) for the ANI. Get a sneak preview of what sessions and educational opportunities will be taking place at this year national meeting.

If you would like to be considered as a speaker for AAHAM's ANI, please visit the Be a Speaker section for an application. Speaking positions, both paid and unpaid are usually filled by the end of April, but we do take information year round and will be sure to mail out Speaker RFPs to all interested parties.

If you have any additional questions about the ANI, please feel free to contact the National Office at 703-281-4043 ext 1 or by email at danielle@aaham.org.

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ASSETS:

Cash in Bank 13,386.77

Certificate of Deposit #30063596 5,980.10

Certificate of Deposit #30063430 3,166.37

TOTAL ASSETS 22,533.24$

LIABILITIES:

Payables (Pending Payments) 0

EQUITY: 0

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 22,533.24$

REVENUES:

Sponsor Fees 7,850.00

Certification Fees 1,710.00

Registration - Spring 4,600.00

Registration - Fall 6,480.00

Donations

Other Revenue 3.48

Sponsor Fees - Booth (Spring) 1,015.00

Sponsor Fees - Booth (Fall) 870.00

Total Revenue 22,528.48$

EXPENSES:

Web Site 1,319.00

Software Expense - Quickbooks 302.20

Spring Conferfence Speaker Fees 199.06

Spring Conference Facility Fees 4,444.73

Spring Conference Hospitality Fees 1,458.73

Supplies/Postage 95.30

Charity

Insurance Fees 1,701.00

PayPal Fees 317.85

Fall Conference Speaker Fees 478.70

Fall Conference Facility Fees 4,695.43

Fall Conference Hospitality Fees 1,932.03

ANI Expense 1,719.88

AAHAM National Legislative Day (Donation) 500.00

AAHAM National Legislative Day Expenses 2,746.56

AAHAM Presidents Meeting 541.97

Total Expenses 22,452.44$

YTD Net Income (Loss) 76.04$

Beginning Cash Balance 12,966.77$

Ending Cash Balance 13,386.77$

BALANCE STATEMENT

OPERATING STATEMENT

Hawkeye Chapter AAHAMTREASURER'S REPORT

Period Ending December 31, 2019

Respectfully,

Becky David Chapter Treasurer

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The Iowa Hawkeye Chapter wishes to extend their gratitude to our Corporate Sponsors.

The activities and success of our chapter could not be possible without the support of our Corporate Sponsors. Their continued support and engagement within the chapter certainly adds to the strength of our chapter by allowing us to

provide quality educational opportunities and outstanding networking events for the benefit of our membership.

If you are an existing Corporate Sponsor, we appreciate your past and continued support of our chapter.

Platinum: Avadyne Health

Bloom Payment

Credit Bureau Services of Iowa

Help Financial

The Hauge Group

RevCycle, Inc./Alliance Collections

Gold:

Silver: General Service Bureau

Bronze:

If you are interested in becoming a Corporate Sponsor, please contact Ashley Allers at aallers@vandiestmc.org or visit our website https://hawkeyeaaham.org/sponsorship-information/

Don’t Forget AAHAM! If you’ve recently had a change to your personal contact information, please let AAHAM know. If we aren’t able to contact you, we can’t keep you informed of all the great benefits AAHAM has to offer. So please, keep us in mind as your life changes and let us know how to reach you. To update your AAHAM Records please contact Laurie Bruck, Membership Chair by calling 712-655-8152, or by emailing her at laurie.bruck@mrchia.com.

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Cycle Inc. or

) 5\

April 15, 2020 - Registration deadline for July 2020 certification exams

April 18-20, 2020 - AAHAM Spring Board Meeting

April 20-21, 2020 - 2020 Legislative Day, Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill May 20, 2020 - AAHAM Webinar May 31, 2020 - Scholarship Application Deadline

July 31, 2020 - Bill Spare National Recognition Award Nomination Deadline

August 17, 2020 - Registration deadline for November 2020 certification exams

October 18-24, 2020 - Patient Account Management Week

October 19-21, 2020 - AAHAM Fall Board Meeting

October 21-23, 2020 - 2020 ANI, Sheraton New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana

November 2-13, 2020 - November 2020 certification exams

December 15, 2020 - Registration deadline for March 2021 certification exams

October 13-15, 2021 - 2021 ANI, Hilton Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland

December 31, 2020 - Legislative Advocacy Award Submission Deadline

76-5290 to get started with their team.

AAHAM National Calendar of Events

2020 Certification Schedule April 15, 2020 Registration Deadline for July 2020 Exam Period

July 20-31, 2020 July 2020 Exam Period

August 17, 2020 Registration Deadline for November 2020 Exam Period

November 2-13, 2020 November 2020 Exam Period

December 15, 2020 Registration Deadline for March 2021 Exam Period

Certification Exam Change for July Testing Period

In response to the current public safety concerns, AAHAM is transitioning to delivering all upcoming certification exams remotely through our online proctoring partner, ProctorU. This method of testing online through a webcam enables our test takers to take their exam in an isolated room either at their home or office, while also upholding the high integrity standards that AAHAM values. AAHAM wants to ensure that there are no potential health risks for any of our test takers or proctors, therefore we will only be delivering exams in the July 20-31, 2020 testing period remotely through ProctorU and not through the traditional in-person proctor method. This also applies to any section retakes that are scheduled prior to the July exams.

Click here for an overview of the ProctorU services and fees, they are also available on the certification

page of our website. All of the 2020 exam dates and deadlines will remain the same as originally scheduled, the certification calendar is available for reference.

We appreciate your flexibility and look forward to continue providing our industry-leading certifications in a safe and responsible way.

Amy Mitchell, CRCE Matthew Hundley First Vice President Certification Director

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Membership Dues for Retired Members . . .

Great news! We are excited to inform you that AAHAM will be waiving membership dues for retired

members! To qualify for this special membership benefit, an individual must be a National AAHAM

member who has retired from healthcare. Retired members receive all benefits of AAHAM membership

with the exception of voting. Any retired member who had already renewed before February 1st will

have their payment refunded.

Please contact Moayad Zahralddin, moayad@aaham.org if you have any questions.

AAHAM... Providing Excellence in the Business of Healthcare· Certification · Compliance · Leadership

Development · Networking · Advocacy

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Website Alert The Iowa Hawkeye Chapter is excited to announce our website for members at www.hawkeyeaaham.org. The site includes:

Chapter officers and board members Membership information Upcoming events-Calendar of events Link to the National AAHAM Website Chapter Bylaws Current and Past Newsletters Sponsor Information Photos from past meetings

Watch for more information to be added every month. Since the site is new, we are looking for any ideas for additional information from our members. Please contact board member Jack Stanton at

Charliec@thehaugegroup.com with ideas.